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Meet The Expert | Ibon Velez Terrazas
From tractors to hydrogen trucks to battery cells, the common thread running through a career in sustainable manufacturing is adaptability. Ibon Velez Terrazas, HSSMI’s Senior Technical Lead for Electric Drives & Batteries, has built exactly that kind of versatile expertise over nine years in sustainable consultancy.
Ibon has worked with UK and European companies, leading various proposals and projects related to battery and e-motor manufacturing as well as hydrogen development. That range — across electric drives, batteries and hydrogen — makes him one of HSSMI’s most adaptable technical specialists.
A Foundation in Automotive Logistics
During his HSSMI journey, Ibon spent almost two years working for CNH Industrial in their Logistics Department. The role involved launching a new tractor model into the market and dealing with automotive suppliers in the day-to-day running of the plant — hands-on experience that continues to inform his understanding of how manufacturing strategy plays out on the ground.
A Portfolio Spanning Hydrogen, Batteries and E-Drives
Ibon’s project experience shows the breadth of what “sustainable manufacturing” now demands:
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- HVS — UK Hydrogen Powered HGV Manufacturer. Ibon provided engineering support in developing a Manufacturing Strategy involving cost, quality and environmental implications, aiding the collation of the Bill of Sequence for the HVS truck’s assembly process, along with process step creation and prototype vehicle build planning and support. He also devised the operating system and methodology for the build of “AP” level prototype HGV trucks.
- OORT Energy — Electrolyser Assembly and Testing Facility, UK. Ibon supported the technical delivery of a high-level view on CAPEX and OPEX costs for a Giga-plant, preparing and delivering an investor pack assessing OORT Energy’s future volume manufacturing capabilities for their unique electrolyser product.
- SHyGAN — BEIS Funded Project, Hydrogen Storage Systems Manufacturing. As Project Lead, Ibon is currently leading a two-year DESNZ-funded project related to the manufacturing of a novel hydrogen storage system, developing the scale-up and manufacturing strategy for the proposed solution — including long-term manufacturing strategy, supply chain definition and End-of-Life strategy.
- MAHLE Group — Battery Pack Manufacturing. As Project Lead, Ibon led a team of engineers and technical leads in the assessment for a battery pack manufacturing plant, validating the manufacturing concept, supporting supplier response management, and developing a concept for equipment reuse beyond the project’s lifetime.
- FEV Consulting — ICE Equipment Assessment. As Project Lead, Ibon supported a Turkish client in assessing used equipment in the UK for future manufacturing capacity in Turkey, leading the initial assessment and an on-site visit to address the suitability of equipment against a standard bill of sequence process.
- Acoubat — Innovate UK Funded Project, Cell Manufacturing and New Battery Testing Technology. As Project Lead, Ibon led a team of engineers and technical leads to develop a simulation in AnyLogic of a battery cell manufacturing facility, covering all battery cell manufacturing processes as well as defining a testing strategy based on Acoustic Testing technology.
A Specialist Grounded in Both Engineering and Sustainability
Ibon holds an electrical engineering degree, a Master’s in Renewable Energy Systems, and a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. His core skills — process design and optimisation, e-motor and battery manufacturing, sustainable engineering, logistics coordination, and data management — reflect a career built at the intersection of electrification and sustainability.
Why It Matters
As the industry pushes forward on electric drives, batteries and hydrogen simultaneously, few engineers can move as easily between all three as Ibon. His experience is helping HSSMI’s clients build manufacturing strategies that are technically sound, commercially viable, and ready for whichever clean technology their business depends on.
Want to learn more about how HSSMI’s electric drives and battery manufacturing expertise can support your project? Get in touch with our team.
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